Under the blue sky of Athens

I had forgotten about that sky. So blue, so clear. And the neverending azure blanket that lit up the city but also brought an oppressive heat.

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

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Photos in Athens

I had forgotten about that sky. So blue, so clear. Day after day the clouds stayed away, perhaps finding somewhere cooler. For the neverending azure blanket that lit up the city but also brought an oppressive heat.

I was reminded of summer in Athens when I was looking through some photos of a trip there last summer.

Around every corner was another ruin, usually an ancient one. And sadly, because of current economic conditions, quite often a modern one too.

But each is rich with stories of history and culture. A self-guided walking tour through Athens need only take a few hours (everything is so close to each other) but it can take you through millennia of human civilization.

Things to see in Athens, Greece

It seems like a good time to share some of the photos I took there which I haven’t done anything with. I have no other plans for them and it would be a shame not to publish them somewhere.

If you’ve never been there, I hope this gives you a bit of a sense of Athens: the imposing buildings, the fascinating archaeological sites, and the richness of the people.

If you have been, I hope this brings back the same kind of happy memories it did when I rediscovered the images in my archive.

Things to see in Athens, Greece
Things to see in Athens, Greece
Things to see in Athens, Greece
Things to see in Athens, Greece
Things to see in Athens, Greece
Things to see in Athens, Greece
Things to see in Athens, Greece
Things to see in Athens, Greece

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN ATHENS

There’s a good range of accommodation in Athens and I would recommend finding something near Syntagma Square for convenience.

BACKPACKER

For a backpacker option, I would recommend the modern and comfortable Bedbox Hostel.

BUDGET

If you’re looking for value, I would suggest the Athens Mirabello, which also has a great location.

BOUTIQUE

There are some cool design hotels in the city and one of the nicest is The Artist Athens.

LUXURY

And for 5-star luxury, I would suggest the modern Electra Metropolis with a great view of the Acropolis.

24 thoughts on “Under the blue sky of Athens”

  1. Unfortunately I didn’t have the pleasure to visit Greece, and your post really shows me how much I missed so far, by not including Greece in my travel itinerary. I hope in the future I will have the possibility to rectify this oversight.

    Reply
    • It’s a bit weird how you can walk through parts of the city and there are just ruins from thousands of years ago there. And everyone’s all casual and “oh yeah, those old things” and I’m all like “oh my god, it’s another temple to Zeus or someone!”.

      Reply
    • I wish I knew a bit more about classical history when I was there. It’s one thing to look at the interesting ruins and take a few photos… but it’s a whole other thing to understand how it all fits in to the context of history.

      Reply
  2. I really want to go to Athens. We have yet to go to Greece and each post I see from you, makes me yearn to see it. I love the first photo of the women, Are they street performers?

    Reply
  3. Neat pictures. Athens is ok, but I was more than happy to leave after only one full day in the city. The islands and some of the sites elswhere on the mainland like Meteora and Delphi are far more fascinating for me. The islands especially!

    Reply
    • Ah, see, so many people say that Athens is only worth a day but I disagree completely. It’s not just the ruins – it’s the food, the bars, the cafes and the fun atmosphere. I do agree that there are some very interesting things outside the capital, like Delphi, but I much prefer Athens over the big and busy tourist islands.

      Reply
  4. The last time I was in Athens it was July 2007 and they had a heat wave going on. Never seen a bluer sky like I did those few days in Athens. I had checked out the “Changing of the Guard” and took a photo of Parliament like you did, so that put a nice smile on my face. Did you get many photos within Plaka, though? It’s by far my favourite section of Athens since it is so colourful and right below the Acropolis.

    Reply

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